1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to electronic programming guides (EPGs).
2. Background Art
It is known in the art to electronically display a television listings guide. Such guides have been used by cable, satellite, and other television service providers. The guides are commonly referred to as electronic program guides (EPGs).
An EPG can include an array of channels and time-slots. A cell at the intersection of each channel and time-slot provides a program title. The program title corresponds to a program that can be viewed for the indicated channel at the indicated time. The cell can be selected with a cursor or other indicating means to change the channel thereto.
Subscribers may desire additional program information relating to the programs, such as the name of the actors, a short summary of the plot, a running length, or other information. It is desirable that the subscriber be able to easily associate the program information with the selected cell.
The known EPGs prevent the subscriber from easily associating the program information with the selected cell. Known EPGs separate the program information from the selected cell by displaying it remotely therefrom, such as in another remote portion of the screen or in a separate screen. The separation creates a gap between the program information and the selected cell. The separation gap induces a disconnect or disassociation between the selected cell and the cell information, preventing the subscriber from easily associating the program information with the selected cell.
Accordingly, there exists a need for a television listings guide that easily associates the selected cell with its program information.